Of Wine and Company
by chocokira07
Summary: Drinking and gambling doesn't really mean you'll be alone on the Starry Night Festival.  Secret Santa Gift for Mage the Observer :3!


**A/N**: A Secret Santa gift for** Mage the Observer**! Enjoy it! And to all the readers, don't judge the story 'til you read the last sentence, kay? Anyway, once again, please enjoy! It's really short, really, since I had no ideas coming to my mind T^T And I've never played HM 64, so forgive me if there's anything contradicting (ace attorney XD) the game!

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><p>I made my way to the bar. I'd figure there'd be lots of people when I entered. I don't know why the bar was opened tonight, since this night was a holiday.<p>

"Hey Jack." A voice across the bar echoed. "Fancy being here?"

I walked over to the long table of the bartender. "I don't come here often, Karen."

"Yeah, I know." Karen shrugged as she continued cleaning some tall glasses. "Hey, wait."

"What is it?"

"Why are you here when you should be celebrating Starry Night Festival? I mean, this is your first time celebrating it, right?" she asked.

I froze. I just couldn't muster up the courage to tell her that I didn't have a date. Well, having a date for the festival isn't really needed, but I've seen everyone else have a partner already. The reason why I came here actually was to ask Karen to be my date, but… she seemed to be occupied by work in the bar.

"My date couldn't come tonight since she was busy with her family." This was my pathetic and lame excuse.

"Oh." Karen pouted. "That's sad. Yeah, I couldn't accept any dates because I was busy with work."

I just knew this, so I was out of dates and partners to ask out. Now then, I should better be going…

"Wanna drink while you're here?" she raised an eyebrow.

I thought for a while. Maybe just a little bit of drinking, then I'm out of here to celebrate my first Starry Night Festival alone.

"A tall glass of wine. Just one." I ordered.

"Just one? There's no fun when you drink only one glass of wine." She disagreed with me

"Karen, I don't like being drunk." I smiled. "At least you can handle being drunk."

"Hmph, fine." Karen did a little smirk. From the shelves, she reached for a tall bottle of wine, grape flavored.

She then shook the bottle and let the cap pop up, bubbles forming on the opening of the bottle.

"Here. Have a drink." She held the bottle and poured liquid into the tall glass.

"Thanks, Karen." I said, raising my glass then taking a sip.

"Now then," the girl said, taking her own glass of wine. "Care for a game of poker?"

Karen really knows her game, huh. I wasn't the type to gamble, but seeing Karen like this made me want to challenge her. "Game on, Karen."

The cards were set, the money was ready, and wine was available. What else was needed to start?

After a few minutes, a lot of customers were in on the game, and people started to cheer and shout.

"Jack," Karen called for me. "You're out of chips, if you haven't noticed."

I looked at the table, and there were absolutely no chips in front of me. "Ah!" I shouted, then I started to laugh.

As the game was ongoing, something that slipped out of my mind came back to me. I had forgotten to attend church to watch Maria and the other girls perform.

Then I thought of something else. I looked at Karen; she didn't seem busy at all with her work. She seemed to be enjoying. What if I ask her out right now..? It's now or never, I guess…

"Oh, hey Karen." I turned my attention to her. "I need to ask you something."

Karen, looking away from her cards to me, said "What?" she seemed a little drunk from drinking wine.

I breathed in and out. "Well, I know it seems awkward telling you this in the middle of the game, but… will you—"

…*slam*

Some slammed object interrupted me, and we all looked at the back door of the bar. Sasha was standing right there, her right hand on the door. Everyone didn't expect her, mostly Karen.

"…Mom!" Karen said, dropping her cards on the floor and swiftly drinking her wine.

"Karen, are you drinking and gambling again?" Sasha asked in a furious manner. Everyone backed away, except for me and Karen.

Karen just looked in her eyes, unable to answer. I was also shaking. Am I not going to protect her?

"…come with me." The mother called for her daughter, which looked more like taunting to me because now I felt drunk, too.

…

The whole bar was silent when Karen left with her mom. Well, the silence broke after five minutes, then everyone started playing and drinking and gambling again.

I sighed. What else am I still doing here? I should get going; finding a date tonight is just a mere impossibility.

I then walked out of the bar, feeling a little guilty that I couldn't protect Karen and talk to Sasha in a way that she would understand. No one would even dare get Sasha mad.

I walked home, wind and snow brushing on my shoulders and legs. It felt cold, so I rubbed my hands.

I looked up to the sky to notice that there weren't much stars in the night sky. This sky makes me feel even lonelier.

As I was walking, I happened to pass by some houses with plenty of Christmas decoration and pretty lights around them. Christmas trees were tall and were adorned with many designs and little figurines and balls and plenty more. Underneath them were multiple gifts. Oh how I wish I had a gift, too, even just one from a special person.

I also noticed happy families inside each house. They felt so warm and comfortable around each other, it makes me jealous. I wish my family was still here with me. _I wish there was someone to spend the Starry Night Festival with._

_...  
><em>

"Oh look, I'm here at home now." I said, noticing that I was staring at my doorstep.

I didn't feel like entering my house, since there weren't any decorations or Christmas trees or gifts inside. My house looks like prison every Starry Night Festival.

From the back of my house, I got a tall ladder and placed it at the edge of my house. I then climbed it to reach the roof. I like spending time there.

…

It's hard to walk on the rooftop during winter, considering the pile of snow on it and how thick it was. Anyway, I succeeded walking on the roof and finally sat down for some peace and quiet.

It was really pretty to see the snowflakes fall to the ground. I thought, this was the only thing I could do during my first Starry Night Festival: watch the snowflakes fall.

…

…

…

"Hey, Jack." A familiar voice broke the silence.

I looked around and down. I was shocked to find a girl standing in front of my house, holding two gifts. She waved at me.

"Karen!" I moved a bit to get a good image of her. It really was her.

"Why are you up there?" she shouted.

"Nothing, I like being up here." I answered.

"Whatever, I'm coming up there, whether you like it or not." and she did run to the ladder and climbed up, using only one hand since her other hand was holding two gifts.

As she got up here, she sat beside me and settled down the gifts beside her.

I was curious as to what were in those gift boxes. "What's in that tall paper bag?"

"Wine." She answered straightly. "My mom wanted to give it to you only. I snuck out two glasses in case you wanted to drink." She really knew how to drink when her parents weren't watching.

"Why two glasses? I thought the wine was for me."

"Well, I would never miss drinking wine if you wanted to share my mom's gift to you. I mean, if you want to drink the wine alone, then okay."

"Fine, let's drink then. I'll share." I said, watching her open the bottle and fill the two glasses and handed me one.

"Why are you here?" I sipped some of my wine as I asked.

"I just wanted to give you that wine that my mom gave. That's all." She shrugged.

"No, I mean, why aren't you at the beach celebrating the Festival? There were people who told me you always went to the beach alone during Starry Night Festivals."

Karen seemed surprised, looked at me then turned away.

"I've… screwed this night." She whispered. "The bar is closed during this night every year, but I opened it this night to see if I could find and call someone to hang out with at the beach, since every year I'm always alone on the seashore. But I got carried away with drinking and gambling that my mother and I got into an argument."

"So that explains why." I understood. I knew it was awkward from the start why the bar was open and she wasn't at the beach. Wow, she even had a more pathetic excuse than me. "You didn't find a date, then?"

She shook her head. "Nah. Sorry I lied to you."

"It's okay, I guess." I looked beside her. There was still one gift box yet, but maybe it just wasn't for me.

"Are you wondering for who that gift box is?" she looked at me, tilting her head.

I nodded.

Karen thought for a while, then placed aside her wine and picked up the box. She seemed to be blush, but I really couldn't tell if I was just hallucinating. "It's for you." she held the box in front of me.

I was surprised. Who would have thought that I would get a gift this Starry Night Festival?

"Open it, please." She drank and refilled her glass again to avoid showing happiness because of the gift she gave.

"Alright then." I ripped apart the wrapping, then opened the box.

It was a little miniature Christmas tree made out of glass. Inside it lit a small candle.

"This is cute. Where did you get it?" I asked.

"I molded that when I was small. I just added the candle this morning."

"But why did you give it to me? You could've given it to any other person."

"…I have to tell you something, Jack." Karen said, deciding to admit something.

I didn't back out, either. "I have to tell you something, too."

"You first, Jack." Karen told me.

"No, you first." I told her.

…

"I was supposed to ask you out."

We both said in unison, looking at each other.

"…Ahahaha!" We both ended up laughing, raising our glass of wine.

"This was quite better than being at the beach alone." She smiled at me.

I agreed. "At least I'm not alone tonight, either. And I love the Christmas tree; even if it's small, it's still a usable Christmas tree. Thanks for the gift; sorry I don't have one for you."

"You did give me something."

"What, Karen?"

She sweetly giggled at me. "Wine, and Company."

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><p>AN: Oh me, oh my, THE CHARACTERS ARE OOC REALLY D: AND I COULDN'T THINK OF ANY IDEA, SO I'M SOOOORRRRRYYYY. XD I crammed it, eh. I'm so sorry for procrastinating.

Mage, please tell me this is an okay gift, because if you don't like it, I could make one more for you QuQ I neglected this Secret Santa gift. XC I tried to make it beautiful, though :) even if it's 12:30 am already. Bye~!

…

**This is Kira 07, signing out.**

**Ja ne, minna!**


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